11 flown from Red Sucker Lake to Winnipeg hospital after drinking poison
Band councillor says the visit to the hospital was a precaution, and all have since been released
Eleven adults from Manitoba's Red Sucker Lake First Nation were air lifted to a Winnipeg hospital on Thursday to be treated for chemical poisoning, band councilor Lester Harper told CBC News.
Five of them were drinking an unknown chemical at a mining site near the dry first nation before they brought it back to the community. There, they shared it with six others.
Harper said the adults were flown in as a pre-caution, and all have since been released.
"They were just being suspicious about their health. What they were drinking there was poisonous," he said.
"Poison control. That's the one who suggested they had to be checked …"
According to RCMP, investigators are aware of what happened but there is no evidence to support criminal intent or the need for an investigation.
Harper told CBC the first nation struggles with issues related to alcohol, and particularly a home-brewed drink called superjuice.
"This is out of control, even though this is a dry reserve," he said, adding guards search community members at the airport to make sure they aren't concealing alcohol on their belongings.
Chief and council are working with RCMP to get the issue under control, Harper said.